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{{Looking for|the character|the manga chapter|Hashirama Senju (chapter)|Hashirama Senju}}
 
{{Infobox}}
 
{{Infobox}}
<section begin=summary />{{translation|'''Hashirama Senju'''|千手柱間|Senju Hashirama}} was a legendary ninja who hailed from the [[Senju clan]] that together with the [[Uchiha clan]], established the first shinobi village: [[Konohagakure]]. He would later go on to become the village's {{translation|'''First [[Hokage]]'''|初代火影|Shodai Hokage|lit meaning=First or Founding Fire Shadow}}.<section end=summary />
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<section begin=summary />{{translation|'''Hashirama Senju'''|千手柱間|Senju Hashirama}} was a member of the famed [[Senju clan]]. He himself was hailed as the "God of Shinobi" for his unmatched ninja prowess. Hashirama sought peace for the shinobi world, and to that end founded [[Konohagakure]] with his clan, his childhood friend and rival: [[Madara Uchiha]] and the [[Uchiha clan]]. He would later become the {{translation|'''First [[Hokage]]'''|初代火影|Shodai Hokage|lit meaning=First or Founding Fire Shadow}} of Konohagakure. Although he was not able to achieve peace during his lifetime, his legacy and vision for the world would continue to shape the village and the entire shinobi world even after his death.<section end=summary />
   
 
== Background ==
 
== Background ==
 
[[File:madara and hasirama2.png|thumb|left|Hashirama meeting Madara.]]
During Hashirama's time as the leader of the Senju, the clan came to be regarded as one of the two most powerful clans in the world, rivalling the renowned battle-oriented Uchiha clan. Because of this, when someone hired the Senju clan, the opposing side would hire the Uchiha clan and vice-versa, causing frequent battles between the two.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 399, pages 1-2</ref>
 
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Hashirama was born during the [[Warring States Period]], the eldest of [[Butsuma Senju]]'s four sons. Hashirama and his brothers grew up on the battlefield waging constant war with the Senju's rivals: the [[Uchiha]]. During his infrequent downtime, Hashirama met a boy his own age named [[Madara]]. The two quickly developed a friendly rivalry, be it skipping stones or urinating in rivers, with Hashirama typically winning their contests.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 621, pages 15-17</ref> Hashirama did not approve of this practice of sending children to fight and die, believing it would only increase the bitterness between the Senju and Uchiha, thus causing more deaths.
   
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{{imgRight|Hashirama family.png|Hashirama and his family attend Kawarama's funeral.}}
[[File:UchihaSenjuTruce.png|thumb|left|The Senju and Uchiha form an alliance.]]
 
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After the deaths of their brothers, [[Kawarama]] and later [[Itama]], Hashirama and his remaining brother, [[Tobirama]], decided a new shinobi system would need to be implemented to end the cycle of child deaths, a system that would require an alliance between the Senju and Uchiha. Like Hashirama, Madara was also a shinobi who had lost brothers on the battlefield. Together they imagined a world where children like themselves wouldn't need to fight and where their brothers would be safe from harm.<ref name="C623P10">''Naruto'' chapter 623, page 10</ref> As a precaution, Hashirama and Madara did not divulge their family names, but nevertheless discovered each other's identities: Hashirama was a Senju, Madara was an Uchiha; it was their duty to kill each other. Hashirama set this duty aside, unwilling to take his friend's life. Madara, however, decided their dreams of a peaceful world were impossible, and therefore ended their friendship so that they could kill each other without reservation.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 624, pages 9-10</ref>
Eventually growing tired of the constant fighting, Hashirama and his clan approached the Uchiha and offered a truce with them. Allied with [[Madara Uchiha]] and his clan, the two groups founded Konohagakure. When deciding who should become the leader of Konoha, the villagers selected Hashirama over Madara for the title of First Hokage.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 399, pages 3-8</ref>
 
   
[[File:Hashirama Senju VS Madara Uchiha.png|thumb|right|The battle between Hashirama and Madara.]]
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[[File:Madara and Hashirama combat.png|thumb|left|Hashirama and Madara clash on the battlefield.]]
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Over the following years Hashirama and Madara continued to meet in combat. Hashirama could never bring himself to kill someone he still considered a friend, and Madara could never defeat Hashirama's superior abilities. In time, both Madara and Hashirama became leaders of their respective clans. Under Hashirama's leadership and extraordinary ninja prowess, the Senju began to best the Uchiha Clan until at one point Hashirama had both Madara and Izuna at his mercy. However, unable to find the resolve to kill his childhood friend, Hashirama tried to convince Madara to unite their two clans to make their childhood dreams a reality. A mortally wounded Izuna convinced Madara otherwise and they retreated, prompting Hashirama to send a cease-fire request. Although some Uchiha found the offer increasingly tempting, Madara was unwilling to accept after Tobirama killed his last remaining brother, [[Izuna]]. This did not stop some Uchiha from defecting to the Senju out of self-preservation.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 624, pages 11-14</ref> Wracked with grief, Madara made one final stand against Hashirama and the Senju and was summarily defeated. Tobirama attempted to kill Madara to finally end the fighting, but Hashirama stopped him, knowing that would only renew hostilities between the Senju and Uchiha. At Madara's suggestion, Hashirama offered to kill himself in order to achieve a peaceful resolution. As he was about to end his own life, Madara stopped him, moved by the gesture, and assented to peace.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 625, pages 2-4</ref>
Fearing that Hashirama would oppress the Uchiha, Madara left the village, and challenged Hashirama's rule. After an intense battle that included the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, [[Kurama]], Hashirama defeated Madara; and Hashirama's wife [[Mito]] became Kurama's first [[jinchūriki]] by sealing the beast within herself.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 500, page 6</ref> In the aftermath of their battle, Madara was believed to have been killed, and the resulting battle created what would come to be known as the "[[Valley of the End]]". To commemorate the battle, two statues, one of Madara and the other of Hashirama, were carved into the borders of the valley.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 399, pages 9-12</ref>
 
   
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[[File:Senju & Uchiha truce.png|thumb|right|Konohagakure is formed.]]
During his time as Hokage, Hashirama came into possession of a [[Scroll of Seals|scroll]] filled with, among other skills, various [[kinjutsu]], which he sealed away in order to keep the techniques within it a secret.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 1, page 22</ref> He also defeated [[Kakuzu]], who had been sent to assassinate him by [[Takigakure]].<ref>Third Databook, page 57</ref> At some point, Hashirama gained control of several [[tailed beasts]]. He spread these beasts to other, newly-formed villages in an attempt to maintain peace and equalise the powers between the nations.<ref name="c404">''Naruto'' chapter 404, page 14</ref> Thinking about the future of Konoha, he and his younger brother, Tobirama Senju, trained the young [[Hiruzen Sarutobi]].<ref name="c123p4">''Naruto'' chapter 123, page 14</ref> Hashirama died shortly after the founding of Konoha in one of the many wars that were raging during this revolutionary era, but not before passing on the title of Hokage to Tobirama.<ref name="d1">First Databook, page 116</ref>
 
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The Senju, the Uchiha, and all their affiliated clans came together to found a village of peace, where children would never need to die in battle. Hashirama and Madara, rekindling their childhood friendship, called that village [[Konohagakure]]. The other countries would soon follow Konohagakure's example and build their own hidden villages. It was his wish that Madara become [[Hokage]], the village's leader and protector.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 625, page 12</ref> At Tobirama's insistence, the Hokage position was democratically elected, and in the end it was Hashirama that was chosen for the office.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 399, pages 7-8</ref><ref name=":0" /> Hashirama wanted Madara to work with him as a brother and as his right hand so that he could improve his standing among the villagers and someday succeed him as Second Hokage. Madara felt that position would inevitably go to Tobirama, which would in turn end badly for the Uchiha. With his position in Konoha rapidly diminishing and after being manipulated by the stone tablet [[Black Zetsu|Zetsu]] altered,<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 681, page 9</ref> Madara decided the village was a failed experiment and abandoned it, intent on someday returning to face Hashirama in battle yet again.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 399, page 9</ref>
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[[File:Hashirama vs Madara.png|thumb|left|Hashirama fighting Madara and the Nine-Tails.]]
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True to his promise, Madara eventually attacked Konohagakure on multiple occasions.<ref>Fourth Databook, page 61</ref> After countless fights and with the [[Nine-Tails]] under his control, Madara challenged Hashirama to one final contest.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 399, pages 9-11</ref> The Nine-Tails' power, as well as Hashirama's efforts to capture and contain it, devastated the landscape, carving out what would later be called the [[Valley of the End]]. Hashirama spent the duration of their battle trying to reason with Madara, but Madara continued fighting until he was too tired to keep even his [[Sharingan]] active. This enabled Hashirama to distract him with a [[wood clone]] while the real Hashirama stabbed him in the back. Madara collapsed and, before dying, noted how much Hashirama had changed from when they were children.<ref name="C626P13">''Naruto'' chapter 626, page 13</ref>
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[[File:First Gokage summit.png|thumb|right|Hashirama attending the first Kage Summit.]]
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In the aftermath of the battle, Tobirama hid away Madara's body and Hashirama's wife, [[Mito]], sealed the Nine-Tails within herself in order to contain its great power to Konoha's benefit.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 500, page 6</ref> For a time, things were peaceful: Hashirama helped train one of Tobirama's students, [[Hiruzen Sarutobi]]; he got to spoil his first grandchild, [[Tsunade]];<ref name="c619p4">''Naruto'' chapter 619, page 4</ref> he locked away the [[Scroll of Seals]], the [[kinjutsu]] it contained no longer necessary in the world he'd made.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 1, page 22</ref> But the peace Hashirama had worked so hard for was starting to unravel; at some point [[Takigakure]] sent [[Kakuzu]] to assassinate him.<ref>Third Databook, page 57</ref> Although he defeated Kakuzu, other wars began to break out.
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In an unknown time, Hashirama convened a [[Kage Summit]] so that he could share the [[tailed beasts]] Konoha had acquired with them, thus balancing power amongst them. But cooperation would not be so simple as Hashirama intended it to be, first by Tobirama's demand that the other villages pay for the tailed beasts they received, then by the [[First Kazekage]]'s counter-request of money and territory in lieu of a tailed beast. As unrest began to grow, Hashirama shared his fear that any agreement they made would only be temporary, but also that future generations could forge a lasting unity.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 648, pages 9-15</ref>
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Ultimately, Hashirama's wish for peace would not come to fruition during his lifetime and he died while Konohagakure began to flourish.<ref name="d1">First Databook, page 116</ref> Before his death he passed the title of Hokage to Tobirama, and instructed him not to mistreat the Uchiha.<ref name="c619">''Naruto'' chapter 619, pages 11, 17</ref>
   
 
== Personality ==
 
== Personality ==
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[[File:Hashirama depressed.png|thumb|left|Hashirama brooding about memories of Tsunade.]]
Hashirama was shown to be a very calm, and collected person, as well as kind and caring, with a deep sense of loyalty, great charisma and negotiation skill. He saw the people of Konoha as a part of his own family, and his legacy took a firm root in the village. He was also shown to be a very wise and insightful man, as he passed on great teachings to Hiruzen. It was he who first believed that all Konoha shinobi should show true loyalty to each other, and that a Kage must be willing to put his life on the line for his village to set an example for all others. This belief of his is known as the "[[Will of Fire]]". Hashirama also seemed to have a sense of honour regarding his opponents and, despite their rivalry, possessed great respect for [[Madara Uchiha]].
 
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Hashirama was an excitable man with a boisterous personality. He loved meeting new people, having friendly competitions, and gambling. Headstrong and often impulsive, it fell to others – such as his brother, Tobirama – to be more responsible or realistic about things that Hashirama had gotten carried away with.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 619, pages 5-6</ref> When taken down in this way, or even when simply presented with information that troubled him, Hashirama could do a near-immediate about-face, going from laughing to sulking. These moping periods were typically brief though, and he'd quickly go back to his usual high-spirited nature.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 623, page 5</ref> Later generations upon meeting him, tended to remark that neither extremes of his personality were very fitting for a man called the "[[God of Shinobi]]".<ref name="c619p4" />
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Despite the first impression he may give, Hashirama was capable of being serious when it came to matters that were important to him. He spent years opposing the practice of sending children to war and dreamed of a shinobi system where a child could be around others their age, never needing to "grow up" prematurely on the battlefield.<ref name="C623P10" /> To that end he became very devoted to Konoha upon its foundation, as it was the realisation of his dream for peaceful childhoods. He wanted the rest of the village to cherish what Konoha represented just as much as he did, encouraging them to regard every villager as part of one large family that should always look out for each other. As Hokage, his job was to protect that family at all costs, even if that cost was his life. This philosophy, known as the "[[Will of Fire]]", would become a cornerstone of Konoha teachings for decades after his death.
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[[File:Hashirama ready to commit.png|thumb|Hashirama offering his life without hesitation for peace.]]
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The Will of Fire is demonstrative of Hashirama's general optimism when it came to other people; he believed a village-first loyalty would naturally break down the mentality that shinobi had to look out for their clans.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 627, page 4</ref> Hashirama lived by this philosophy long before Konoha's founding, having no qualms about killing himself if it meant peace between the Uchiha and Senju clans. In fact, his entire goal of gaining more power was to have enough just to stop violence. One example of this was he believed if the [[Senju Clan|two most]] [[Uchiha Clan|powerful clans]] during the Warring States Period were to join forces, there would be no other shinobi clan to stand against them and would stop selling their services, effectively ending the Warring States Period. He always saw the best in others, either trusting that they acted in good faith or that they could, through non-violent means, be reasoned with. He was humble, not above lowering his head to his fellow village heads<ref name="C648P12">''Naruto'' chapter 648, pages 12-13</ref> or claiming inferiority to those he'd never met but whose actions he approved of.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 620, pages 1-7</ref> If nothing else, Hashirama was kind, placing the needs of others before his own: he was even willing to take his own life if it would help create a world where his friends and family wouldn't need to die unnecessarily.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 625, page 15</ref> It was on these points that Tobirama disagreed with Hashirama most ardently, as Tobirama felt that Hashirama should have a greater value of himself and a greater suspicion of others. It was, similarly, on these points that Hashirama was at his most forceful, asserting his views over Tobirama's; though Tobirama did not often agree, he knew better than to oppose his brother.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 620, pages 4-5</ref> Hashirama is also well-balanced on this regard as he didn't exert his force over Tobirama over past actions that cannot be changed such as when finding out Tobirama seemingly mistreated the Uchiha, he expressed anger, but didn't exert his force as it didn't do any good.
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[[File:Hashirama's intimidating demeanour.png|thumb|left|Hashirama's intimidating demeanour.]]
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Hashirama had a lifelong friendship and rivalry with Madara Uchiha, eventually considering him a brother.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 626, page 2</ref> As children, they would spend much of their free time together, talking, playing, and planning for a future that they weren't sure would ever come. Both were willing to oppose their own fathers by refusing to kill each other, but only Hashirama kept up this refusal into adulthood;<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 624, page 8</ref> even as enemies, Hashirama would go out of his way for Madara, restraining himself (and Tobirama) so as not to hurt him and indulging Madara's desires at his own consequence.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 625, page 1</ref> When they were able to rekindle their friendship by making Konoha, Hashirama placed a great deal of trust in Madara by desiring him to be Hokage, believing it was the best way for Madara to recover from the loss of his brothers. When this ultimately failed, Hashirama respected Madara's opinions and dissatisfaction with the village, but would not permit him to move against Konoha, killing him in the end with sadness and reluctance in order to protect what they'd made together.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 626, pages 13-14</ref> Despite everything, Hashirama considered Madara his friend to the very end.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 691, pages 11-13</ref>
   
 
== Appearance ==
 
== Appearance ==
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<gallery type="slideshow" position="right" widths="240" hideaddbutton="true">
[[File:Shodai Hokage.PNG|thumb|left|Hashirama in the Hokage attire.]]
 
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Kid Hashirama.png|Hashirama as a child.
Hashirama was a tall man with tanned skin, dark eyes and waist-length black hair typically styled in a centre-parted fringe that framed his face, although sometimes he wore it combed-back with two single locks framing his face instead. In most cases, his attire took the form of the standard shinobi dress of his era, consisting of dark red traditional armour — similar to that of [[samurai]] — worn over a simple black suit. This [[Wikipedia:Japanese armour#Individual armour parts|armour]] was constructed from numerous metal plates, formed into multiple protective guards along his body, in particular: chest, shoulders, thighs and forearms. Each collar of his shoulder guards bore the [[Senju]] symbol emblazoned on them. This clothing was accompanied by sandals and his village's [[forehead protector]], after its formation. He often time also carried either a single large scroll strapped to his back or several large ones into battle.
 
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Hashirama Senju full body.png|Hashirama in adulthood.
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</gallery>
 
Hashirama was a tall man with tanned skin and dark eyes. He had waist-length black hair typically styled in a centre-parted fringe that framed his face. He often wore the standard shinobi dress of his era, consisting of dark red armour worn over a simple black suit with sandals. This armour was constructed from numerous metal plates, formed into multiple protective guards along his body; each collar of his shoulder guards bore the Senju symbol. Prior to Konoha's formation he wore a white-coloured cloth bearing his clan's symbol on his forehead,<ref name="C622P15">''Naruto'' chapter 622, page 15</ref> which he later replaced with the village's [[forehead protector]].
   
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[[File:Shodai Hokage.PNG|thumb|left|Hashirama in Hokage garb.]]
While in the village, Hashirama tended to wear the traditional Kage attire consisting of the customary hat and haori over a full-length gown, along with a simple red headband. Otherwise, he wore a light-brown, short-sleeved, kimono shirt with mesh armour underneath, held closed by a red sash, and navy blue pants.
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Upon becoming Hokage, Hashirama tended to wear the traditional Kage attire consisting of the customary maroon and white hat and haori over a full-length maroon and white gown, along with a simple red headband.<ref name="C399P8">''Naruto'' chapter 399, page 8</ref> Otherwise, he wore a light-brown, short-sleeved, kimono shirt with mesh armour underneath, held closed by a red sash, and navy blue pants. In his Hokage portrait, he is seen wearing a kerchief.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 238</ref>
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As a child, Hashirama's hair was more bowl-cut in style, hanging around his face. His usual attire consisted of a dark kimono shirt, a short light green jacket with darker green linings, a white scarf around his neck, traditional pinstriped kimono pants of his clan, and a dark green sash around his waist.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 621, page 17-18</ref>
   
 
== Abilities ==
 
== Abilities ==
[[File:Hashirama battle.png|thumb|Hashirama with several scrolls.]]
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[[File:Hashirama and Madara clash.png|thumb|Hashirama clashing with his life-long rival, Madara.]]
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Hashirama was famed as the strongest shinobi of his era and one of the strongest in history, reputed as a [[God of Shinobi]].<ref name="shinobigod" /> Madara, another legendary shinobi, openly admitted inferiority to Hashirama throughout their entire lifetime together, even with the [[Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan]] and the [[Nine-Tails]] at his disposal.<ref>''Naruto'' chapters 620-626</ref> Through his [[Wood Release|unique powers]], Hashirama had been able to subdue and capture eight of the nine free-roaming [[tailed beasts]] on his own.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 458, page 3</ref> During the Fourth Shinobi World War, Kabuto proclaimed that the man's might as a ninja was so vast that it was held in a fantasy light similar to the [[Sage of Six Paths]], stating that no one, aside from Madara, had come close to matching him ever since his passing.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 575, page 4-5</ref>
Hashirama is reputed as the most powerful shinobi of his era, having been called the strongest shinobi even by his enemy [[Madara Uchiha]].<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 398, page 17</ref><ref name="C576 p 15">''Naruto'' chapter 576, page 15</ref> His strength was so greatly respected by the shinobi world that Madara himself claimed Hashirama was the one person whom he most admired and detested.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 576, pages 13-16</ref> [[Dan Katō]] also mentioned that the only person who could defeat Madara is Hashirama.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 577, page 14</ref> [[Kabuto]] claimed that Hashirama's might was so vast, that there aren't any living shinobi in the current era that could match his level of power. It was such that many considered his <!-- prowess is a word, look it up -->prowess to be a mere fairy tale much like the existence of the [[Sage of the Six Paths]].<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 575, pages 3-5</ref> The most common example was his ability to not only fight on equal footing with Madara despite his power of the [[Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan]] and [[Summoning Technique|control]] over [[Kurama]] but even gained victory in and survived the battle. As a further testament of Hashirama's prowess, Madara mentioned that fighting all five of the current [[Kage]] was trivial compared to his battle with Hashirama, and that with only one of them alive, the landscape would not change as drastically — a reference to the battle that created an entire [[Valley of the End|valley]].<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 589, pages 6-7</ref>
 
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=== Chakra and Physical Prowess ===
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As a Senju and [[Asura Ōtsutsuki]]'s [[reincarnation]],<ref name="ch671">''Naruto'' chapter 671</ref> Hashirama possessed a powerful life-force and physical energy. This made his [[chakra]] remarkably strong, shown by his ability to release powerful shockwaves that damage his surroundings simply by flaring up his chakra.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 620, page 4</ref> During the Fourth Shinobi World War, after seeing [[Naruto Uzumaki]] distribute his and the Nine-Tails' chakra to the entire [[Allied Shinobi Forces]], Hashirama claimed that the distributed chakra amount almost rivalled his own reserves.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 644, pages 9-11</ref> His chakra control is advanced enough to perform various complex and large-scale jutsu with only a few to no [[hand seal]]s at all.<ref>''Naruto: Shippūden'' episode 369</ref> Hashirama was also able to produce ten wood clones while maintaining a [[Four Red Yang Formation|Kage-level barrier]].
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Hashirama's life-force also grants him enough stamina to fight nonstop for a twenty-four hour period while still left prime to battle,<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 624, page 15</ref> and a will strong enough to resist the control of the perfected [[Impure World Reincarnation]] with ease, even after his cells were used to strengthen the technique's binding.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 620, page 11</ref> His body was brimming with vitality, granting him considerable [[Regeneration Ability|regenerative powers]] that could mend most injuries with no residual effects, an ability that only [[Tsunade]]'s [[Ninja Art Creation Rebirth — Strength of a Hundred Technique|technique]] or Naruto's own healing when he accesses [[Kurama]]'s chakra have both came close to emulating.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 578, page 6</ref><ref>''Naruto'' chapter 228, page 16</ref>
   
 
=== Ninjutsu ===
 
=== Ninjutsu ===
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As a Senju, Hashirama is trained in a variety of shinobi skills. He could summon [[Summoning: Quintuple Rashōmon|multiple Rashōmon gates]] to protect himself from nearly any attack.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 621, page 7</ref> He could use [[barrier ninjutsu]] advanced enough to subdue the [[Ten-Tails]].<ref name="c631">''Naruto'' chapter 631, pages 9-11</ref> He had unprecedented skill in [[medical ninjutsu]], able to heal wounds without forming hand seals. His skill in [[fūinjutsu]] could store several different types of weapons for battle, with which he showed versatile skill in [[bukijutsu]], able to fight on par with Madara. In fact, such was Hashirama's proficiency in fūinjutsu that he could reinforce sealing techniques that were not his own creation with his own techniques.<ref>''[[Naruto Gaiden: Whirlwind in the Vortex]]'', page 30</ref> In the anime, he could also [[Contract Seal|break]] Madara's control over the Nine-Tails.<ref name="OVA" />
==== Medical Ninjutsu ====
 
According to Madara, Hashirama was also able to use [[medical ninjutsu]]. His skill with which were such that he could heal himself without forming seals, and from the medical ninjutsu that his descendant [[Tsunade]] — who is considered to be the greatest medical-nin in the world as it is — has displayed, Madara surmised that his medical techniques were also on an entirely different level.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 578, pages 6</ref> The fact that he could use medical ninjutsu demonstrates that Hashirama likely had excellent chakra control.<ref name="C576 p 15"/>
 
   
 
==== Nature Transformation ====
 
==== Nature Transformation ====
[[File:Wood Release dense woodland.JPG|thumb|left|Hashirama using Wood Release.]]
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[[File:Hashirama's wood release.png|thumb|left|Hashirama using Wood Release.]]
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Hashirama was proficient in all five basic [[nature transformation]]s, along with [[Yin]] and [[Yang Release]].<ref name="d4" /> He was most famous for his use of [[Wood Release]], a combination of [[earth]] and [[water]]-natured chakra, creating wood and plants from the ground or his very being of various sizes and shapes that he manipulated to his purposes. This ability was apparently exclusive to him as no one else has naturally acquired this power; any replications are noticeably pale in comparison to Hashirama's capabilities.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 297, page 9</ref>
He was most famous for his unique [[Wood Release]] techniques, a [[kekkei genkai]] that is a mixture of [[earth]] and [[water]]-natured [[chakra]] that creates this new element. By converting chakra into the source of life, he was able to create trees, causing them to grow to great sizes and manipulate them to diverse shapes and battle uses at will. It was said that this ability was used to create the very landscape and foundation that Konoha is built upon.{{citation needed}} This ability appeared to be exclusively his, as no other known member of his clan has ever displayed its use. Even those who obtained this power through unorthodox means, such as [[Yamato]], stated that his use of Wood Release was much weaker in terms of raw power.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 297, page 9</ref> He could create [[Wood Clone Technique|clones]] of himself, massive [[Wood Release Secret Technique: Nativity of a World of Trees|forests]], or create [[Wood Release: Advent of a World of Flowering Trees|gigantic flowering trees]] whose pollen can render a foe unconscious. He could also create a [[Wood Dragon|giant wooden dragon]], which, according to Madara, was capable of restraining [[Kurama]] in their fight.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 607, page 14</ref> The dragon could do this by using its immense serpentine to constrict the foe and [[Chakra Absorption Techniques|absorb]] their chakra while growing trees across its body.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 608, pages 5-6</ref> In an instant, he could shape the entire battlefield for his own uses. Madara later stated that he was the only one who could tell the difference between Hashirama and his [[wood clone]]s with his ocular powers.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 577, page 13</ref>
 
   
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[[File:Shin Sūsenju.png|thumb|Hashirama's True Several Thousand Hands.]]
Along with his kekkei genkai, Orochimaru also coveted Hashirama's unique ability to control tailed beasts.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 291, page 15</ref> Of all his considerable talents, it was this ability in particular that made Hashirama unparalleled in the shinobi world, so much so that he is regarded as one of the few people capable of completely controlling a tailed beast.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 458, page 3</ref> At one time, he had many of the beasts in his possession.<ref name="c404" /> This [[Hokage-Style Sixty-Year-Old Technique — Kakuan Entering Society with Bliss-Bringing Hands|ability]] was greatly amplified by his [[First Hokage's Necklace|crystal necklace]], which Yamato suggested that he required to control even Naruto's partial lapses into [[Naruto Uzumaki's Jinchūriki Forms|tailed forms]].<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 296, page 15</ref><ref>''Naruto'' chapter 297, pages 8-9</ref>
 
  +
Hashirama could completely change the [[Wood Release Secret Technique: Nativity of a World of Trees|landscape]] with his constructs. He also had more ingenious usages such as making [[wood clone]]s that are nearly indistinguishable from himself. He could make [[Wood Release: Advent of a World of Flowering Trees|flowering trees]] whose pollen rendered opponents unconscious, [[Wood Release: Hōbi Technique|protective structures]] able to withstand [[Tailed Beast Ball]]s,<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 621, page 4</ref> [[Wood Release: Hotei Technique|giant hands]] to apprehend large targets,<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 621, page 6-7</ref> as well as a [[Wood Release: Wood Human Technique|giant humanoid creature]] able to clash with Madara's Complete Body — [[Susanoo]].<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 641, page 5</ref> In the anime, his precision and dexterity with his Wood Release could wield and launch his various weapons from afar, allowing him to attack from multiple angles.<ref name="OVA">''Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations'' OVA</ref>
  +
  +
Hashirama's Wood Release also granted him a method of [[Tailed Beast Control|subduing]] and controlling the tailed beasts. By making direct hand contact or channelling it through his Wood Release, Hashirama could use the [[Hokage-Style Sixty-Year-Old Technique — Kakuan Entering Society with Bliss-Bringing Hands]] to put the beast to sleep.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 626, pages 5-6</ref> He acquired several tailed beasts in this way and was able to maintain control over all of them at the same time. Likewise, he could create [[wood dragon]]s to wrap around any targets and [[Chakra Absorption Techniques|absorb]] their chakra. It was by this power that he earned fame as one of few people who could completely control a tailed beast.
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  +
=== Senjutsu ===
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[[File:Hashirama's Sage Mode.png|thumb|left|Hashirama in Sage Mode.]]
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Because of his large chakra reserves, Hashirama could use [[senjutsu]] and enter [[Sage Mode]] — a feat he could perform instantaneously.<ref name="d4" /> In this mode, he gains red (black in the anime, and dark green in the video games) markings around and under his eyes as well in the middle of his forehead. While it is not known where he learned it, Hashirama proved formidable in its usage, riding about on his wood techniques as a means to be mobile in battle while maintaining the stillness of one's self needed to continue building up natural energy to keep this mode activated. Hashirama could perform powerful [[Sage Art: Gate of the Great God|seals]] to bind targets, even those as large as the Ten-Tails.<ref name="c631" /> The power of Sage Mode would also greatly augment his Wood Release, causing his constructs to become considerably larger and more dangerous, as seen with his largest creation, the [[Sage Art Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands]]: by using it to deliver an [[Top Transformed Buddha|enormous barrage of punches]], it could strip Susanoo from the Nine-Tails plus was chiefly responsible for the formation of the [[Valley of the End]].<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 626, pages 4-9</ref>
   
 
=== Other Skills ===
 
=== Other Skills ===
As the leader of the Senju clan, Hashirama held tremendous proficiency in many shinobi skills and possessed a considerable understanding of those he did not. He held advanced ability in taijutsu with prodigious speed and strength. In addition, he was well-versed in genjutsu and could perform powerful illusions such as the [[Bringer-of-Darkness Technique]].<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 122, page 14</ref> In the anime he showed proficiency with both kenjutsu and fūinjutsu, carrying a scroll which he used to store a number of large swords for the former and in the latter, his use of the [[Contract Seal]] to break Madara's control over Kurama.<ref>''Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations'' OVA</ref> In the manga itself, he was shown with the scroll only, during his battle with Madara and the Nine-Tails, whether or not he was the wielder of the weapons is unknown.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 399, pages 10-11</ref> Hashirama also possessed several large scrolls that were roughly his height, what they were for however is unknown.
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Hashirama was skilled enough in [[taijutsu]] to match experts like Madara and [[Hiruzen]],<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 623, page 1-2</ref><ref>''Naruto'' Episode 71</ref> and could cast [[genjutsu]] to lock a target in [[Bringer-of-Darkness Technique|perpetual darkness]] for the technique's duration.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 122, page 14</ref> Hashirama was shown to be fast enough to outrun the Nine-Tails during his battle with Madara, allowing him to lead the battle to the shoreline.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 621 pages 6-7</ref>
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{{-L}}
   
 
== Part I ==
 
== Part I ==
=== Invasion of Konoha Arc ===
+
=== Konoha Crush ===
  +
{{main|Konoha Crush (Arc)|l1=Konoha Crush}}
[[File:Episode 69.png|thumb|left|Orochimaru reincarnates Hashirama and Tobirama.]]
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[[File:Summoning Impure World Reincarnation.png|thumb|right|Orochimaru summons Hashirama and Tobirama.]]
Both he and Tobirama were reincarnated by [[Orochimaru]] using the [[Impure World Reincarnation]] technique to fight [[Hiruzen]] during the [[Invasion of Konoha|invasion]]. While fully aware of what was going on, and saddened that he would have to fight his former student, Hashirama and his brother were robbed of their free will as a result of a seal employed by Orochimaru into the back of their heads. Hiruzen quickly resolved to kill his masters and used a [[Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet|very powerful fire technique]] that was easily countered by one of Tobirama's [[Water Release: Water Encampment Wall|walls of water]] that was then turned into an [[Water Release: Water Colliding Wave|attack]] that was stopped by Hiruzen's own [[Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall|earth wall]].
 
  +
[[Orochimaru]] [[Konoha Crush|invades Konoha]] so that he can kill his master, [[Hiruzen Sarutobi]], who is now the Third Hokage. Because Orochimaru wants Hiruzen to experience the same thrills of fighting a teacher as he is, he reincarnates Hashirama and [[Tobirama]]. Recognising Hiruzen and seeing how old he has gotten, Hashirama realises how long he's been dead. Tobirama, meanwhile, realises that they've been brought back with the [[Impure World Reincarnation]], and therefore will have no choice but to fight Hiruzen. Orochimaru suppresses their personalities and forces them to attack.
   
[[File:Hiruzen removing Hashiramas Soul.jpg|thumb|Hiruzen removing a reincarnated Hashirama's soul.]]
+
[[File:Hiruzen sealing Hashirama.png|thumb|left|Hiruzen's clone removing Hashirama's soul.]]
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Hiruzen struggles to land an attack against Hashirama and Tobirama, their coordination and responsiveness offering him few openings. The few attacks he does land are merely regenerated by their reincarnated bodies. Because killing Orochimaru will not end the Impure World Reincarnation, Hiruzen uses the only option he has left: after creating two [[shadow clone]]s, he has a clone capture each of the deceased Hokage and use the [[Dead Demon Consuming Seal]] on them. With their personalities restored, Hashirama and Tobirama apologise for being such troubles to him, just as Hiruzen apologises for the fate he has sentenced them to. He pulls the souls from their reincarnated bodies, feeding them to the [[Shinigami]].
During the battle, he demonstrated great teamwork and combination attacks with his brother. He also demonstrated his great Wood Release abilities, forcing Hiruzen to summon [[Enma]] for assistance, and at the same time showed great [[taijutsu]] skills. His soul, along with his brother's, was eventually sealed by Hiruzen when he combined the [[Dead Demon Consuming Seal]] and the [[Shadow Clone Technique]] to strike both of them at the same time. Before his soul was completely removed, he and his brother apologised to their former student for the trouble they had caused.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 123, pages 11-12</ref>
 
 
{{-}}
 
{{-}}
   
== Legacy ==
+
== Part II ==
  +
=== Fourth Shinobi World War: Climax ===
[[File:Hashirama living clone.png|thumb|left|The living clone created from the cultivation of Hashirama's cells.]]
 
  +
{{main|Fourth Shinobi World War: Climax}}
Because of the heritage of the [[Senju]] — who are direct [[Senju Clan Ancestor|descendants]] of the [[Sage of the Six Paths]] — and the kekkei genkai that he possessed, Hashirama's [[Wikipedia:DNA|DNA]] is highly coveted. During the battle at the [[Valley of the End]] where [[Madara Uchiha]] was thought to have died, the latter took the opportunity to collect his adversary's DNA, using it to create a [[Hashirama's Living Clone|mindless living clone]] that produced the artificial life forms that became the [[White Zetsu Army]]. When he was reincarnated by Kabuto, Madara revealed that he had also integrated Hashirama's DNA into himself which gained him access to the [[Wood Release]] kekkei genkai and the [[Rinnegan]].<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 561, pages 8-9</ref><ref>''Naruto'' chapter 606, page 13</ref>
 
  +
[[File:Hokage reincarnated.png|thumb|right|The four Hokage are reincarnated.]]
  +
At the request of [[Sasuke Uchiha]], [[Orochimaru]] [[Dead Demon Consuming Seal: Release|releases]] the souls of the first four Hokage from the stomach of the Shinigami so that he can reincarnate them. After taking in their surroundings, Hashirama and Tobirama are excited to meet [[Minato]], the Fourth, and take him as a sign of Konoha's continued prosperity. Hashirama asks who the Fifth is, and is informed that it is his granddaughter, [[Tsunade]]; Hashirama, accordingly, worries about the village's current fate. Sasuke asks the former Hokage about the history of the village, specifically with regards to the [[Uchiha clan]]. From Tobirama's comments, Hashirama realises that Tobirama did not follow his instructions to be understanding of the Uchiha, which greatly angered him. When Tobirama prepares to attack Sasuke in order to protect the village from one of the last Uchiha, Hashirama uses force to stay his hand.
   
  +
[[File:Hashirama stops Tobimara.png|thumb|left|Hashirama stops Tobirama from attacking.]]
[[Orochimaru]], desiring Hashirama's unique abilities, exhumed the First Hokage's body for his own experiments where he infused sixty child test subjects with DNA harvested from his remains, hoping that one would prove able to use Wood Release. Only [[Yamato]] survived the process.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 291, pages 14-15</ref> This act also provided Orochimaru with a genetic sample that he used to [[Impure World Reincarnation|reincarnate]] Hashirama years later, before Hiruzen [[Dead Demon Consuming Seal|sealed]] his mentor's soul away.
 
  +
The Hokage are told about recent events, namely the outbreak of the [[Fourth Shinobi World War]] and the reincarnation of [[Madara Uchiha]]. Tobirama wishes to go and help Konoha's forces in the war effort and asks for Hashirama's help. Although Orochimaru has perfected his control of the Impure World Reincarnation, Hashirama is still strong enough to break free if he chooses. Instead of doing that, however, he decides to tell Sasuke about his work to create Konoha and the dealings with the Uchiha, as that is why he has been reincarnated in the first place.
   
  +
[[File:The Hokage Arrive.png|thumb|right|The Hokage arrive on the battlefield.]]
[[Danzō Shimura]], using a similar experiment to Orochimaru's, infused his right arm with Hashirama's DNA, and then had ten [[Sharingan]] embedded on it. This synthesis not only allowed Danzō to access Wood Release, but also use [[Izanagi]] for extended periods, and regenerate Shisui Uchiha's [[Mangekyō Sharingan]] after using [[Kotoamatsukami]] within a relatively short span of time compared to the decade it would've normally take.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 550, page 12</ref> Obito also noted that it afforded Danzō the ability to control the [[Nine-Tailed Demon Fox]].<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 478, page 16</ref> [[Obito Uchiha]], having been saved by Madara, was indirectly infused with Hashirama's DNA when the destroyed portion of the young Uchiha's body was replaced with artificial material from the living clone of Hashirama. Taking over for Madara, with the aid of the Akatsuki, Obito used the [[tailed beast]] chakra sealed within the [[Demonic Statue of the Outer Path]] as well as the DNA of [[Yamato]] who was later captured, to enhance the White Zetsu army prior to the start of the [[Fourth Shinobi World War]].<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 512, pages 10-14</ref>
 
  +
Hearing Hashirama's history and reflecting on his own experiences, Sasuke decides he doesn't want Konoha to be destroyed, as is Madara's current intention. Orochimaru releases the Hokage from his control so that they can help in this goal, and they set out for the site of the [[Allied Shinobi Forces]]' battle with the [[Ten-Tails]]. Although worried by Madara's current plans, Hashirama is at the same time curious how Madara managed to survive their last encounter and looks forward to seeing him. When they arrive on the battlefield, Madara, sensing Hashirama, excitedly asks for a chance to fight him, but Hashirama replies that he'll need to wait. Entering [[Sage Mode]], Hashirama uses [[Sage Art: Gate of the Great God]] to bind the Ten-Tails, then assists the other Hokage in erecting a [[Four Red Yang Formation|barrier]] to confine it.
  +
  +
[[File:Hashirama orders attack.png|thumb|left|Hashirama leads the Alliance.]]
  +
Because he must stay with the barrier, Hashirama creates five [[wood clone]]s to act on his behalf. Four lead an Allied attack against the [[Ten-Tails Fission|Ten-Tails' minions]] while the fifth engages Madara; Madara is uninterested and offers to continue waiting until the real Hashirama is available. When [[Obito Uchiha]] appears on the battlefield, Hashirama realises that Madara is forcing him to use the [[Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique]] to revive him. He creates six additional wood clones to go after Madara and stop him. Obito is able to resist Madara's control and instead seals the Ten-Tails into himself, becoming its [[jinchūriki]].
  +
{{-}}
  +
  +
=== Birth of the Ten-Tails' Jinchūriki ===
  +
{{main|Birth of the Ten-Tails' Jinchūriki}}
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[[File:Madara and Hashirama fight again.png|thumb|right|Hashirama battling Madara.]]
  +
With his new power, Obito rips down the barrier, easily shrugs off another Gate of the Great God, and tears through one of the wood clones before it has a chance to respond. The clone is able to retain its form for long enough to create branches that restrain Obito, allowing one of Tobirama's [[shadow clone]]s to use [[Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags]]. When this fails to have an effect, Hashirama decides to get personally involved. Madara, however, is done waiting, and forces Hashirama to fight him. Hashirama tries to convince him to postpone, but Madara won't hear of it. While he engages Madara, his remaining wood clones provide what support to the Allies they can and keep Hashirama apprised of how the battle against Obito is going.
  +
  +
[[File:Hashirama communication.png|thumb|left|Hashirama communicates through Ino's technique.]]
  +
After Obito creates the Ten-Tails' giant tree form, Madara explains to Hashirama the tree's function in the eventual implementation of the [[Infinite Tsukuyomi]]. Needing to communicate this to the rest of the Alliance, Hashirama has [[Ino Yamanaka]] telepathically link one of his wood clones to the rest of the Alliance, which now includes Tsunade and the other current [[Kage]]. After saying hello to his granddaughter, the clone relays his message and implores them not to give. When feelings of futility begin to grow amongst the Alliance's ranks, Hashirama shares his memories of the first [[Kage Summit]] with them, helping to rally them all and, ultimately, defeat Obito.
  +
  +
[[File:Madara captures Hashirama.png|thumb|right|Madara captures Hashirama.]]
  +
The original Hashirama, meanwhile, manages to pin Madara with multiple Gate of the Great Gods and surrounds him with [[wood dragon]]s to prevent him from escaping. [[Naruto Uzumaki]] arrives to help seal Madara, thus ending the war, but Madara implements a final trump card before they can do so: successfully forcing Obito to restore him to life with the Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique. The full return of his original power allows Madara to break free of his restraints and, in the confusion, quickly immobilise Hashirama with [[chakra receiver]]s. Madara is able to fight off several other immediate attackers, but his revival has left him without his eyes, diminishing his senses. He approaches Hashirama and absorbs his [[senjutsu]] chakra so that he can find targets based on their chakra signatures. Before he leaves, Madara notes that the plan for peace he mentioned to Hashirama so long ago is about to be achieved.
  +
  +
As Sasuke is about to go after Madara, Hashirama, still unable to move, offers to give him a jutsu that can be used to cancel out the senjutsu chakra Madara has taken. Sasuke asks why Hashirama would trust him, an Uchiha, to which Hashirama replies that he resembles Madara's brother, [[Izuna]], and that maybe that likeness will remind Madara of the kind person he used to be before Izuna died. In the end, Sasuke fails and the [[Infinite Tsukuyomi]] is cast, with the whole world – the reincarnated Hokage excluded – getting wrapped into [[God: Nativity of a World of Trees]].
  +
  +
=== Kaguya Ōtsutsuki Strikes ===
  +
{{main|Kaguya Ōtsutsuki Strikes}}
  +
[[File:Madara's Final Moment.png|thumb|left|Hashirama speaks to Madara for the last time.]]
  +
Sometime later, the chakra receivers disappear, restoring Hashirama's mobility. He reunites with the other Hokage and they try to figure out what they can do to break the Infinite Tsukuyomi. They are met by the spirit of the [[Sage of the Six Paths]], who recruits their help. Combining efforts with the spirits of the other dead Kage, they summon [[Team Kakashi|Team 7]], Madara, and the [[tailed beasts]] back from [[Kaguya's dimension]]. Hashirama approaches Madara, who is too weak to get up and is in fact dying from his ordeal. Madara uses his remaining moments of life to admit that Hashirama's method of peace was right all along. Hashirama forgives him and says that they are still friends despite everything, which Madara uses his last breath to say isn't so bad. Hashirama and the other Kage are returned to the [[Pure Land]] by the Sage of Six Paths. As his soul ascends, Hashirama wishes Sasuke and Naruto luck, hoping they have a better experience together than he and Madara did.
  +
  +
== Legacy ==
 
[[File:Hashirama's Artificial Body.png|thumb|right|The living clone cultivated from Hashirama's cells.]]
  +
The fact that only Hashirama possessed the ability to use [[Wood Release]] – and related abilities of controlling [[tailed beasts]] and [[Regeneration Ability|self-healing]] – made his [[Wikipedia:DNA|DNA]] highly coveted after his death:
  +
* In the anime, [[Konoha]] sanctioned several attempts to research and reproduce Hashirama's power, but all met with disastrous failure and further study was forbidden.<ref>''Naruto: Shippūden'' episode 351</ref>
 
* [[Orochimaru]] exhumed Hashirama's body for his own experiments, where he infused sixty child test subjects with cells harvested from the remains in the hopes that one would prove able to use Wood Release. Only [[Yamato]] survived the process.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 291, pages 14-15</ref>
  +
** [[Danzō Shimura]] had a work relationship with Orochimaru and had his right arm infused with Hashirama's cells. In addition to granting him increased chakra levels and limited Wood Release abilities, it extended the amount of time he could keep [[Izanagi]] active with his different [[Sharingan]] and increase how often he could use [[Kotoamatsukami]].
  +
** [[Kabuto Yakushi]] continued Orochimaru's studies, eventually learning how to create an implant that would grant whoever received it access to Hashirama's power. The only recipient of this implant was Madara, enhancing him "beyond his prime".
  +
* [[Madara Uchiha]] took his own sample of Hashirama's DNA during their fight at the Valley of the End, which he applied to his injuries afterwards to accelerate his recovery. Decades later, towards the end of his natural lifespan, his Sharingan into [[Rinnegan]],<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 606, page 13</ref> though that was due to Indra's and Ashura's chakra combining, Madara and Hashirama being their reincarnations.
  +
** Using this DNA sample, Madara created a [[Hashirama's Living Clone|mindless clone of Hashirama]], with which he was able to produce a substance that could heal injuries and replace lost limbs; [[Tsunade]] later does the same for Naruto and Sasuke's respective lost arms (the latter however declining the offer). This same substance would be used to enhance the [[White Zetsu Army]].<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 515, pages 10</ref>
  +
* In the anime, [[Root]] saw this as a means to create an ultimate weapon, researching for years to create [[Gozu Tennō]].<ref name="BE13">''Boruto'' episode 13</ref>
  +
* In the anime, Hashirama's DNA became so highly coveted as rumors spread that his powerful life-force and healing powers could also restore one's youth and extend their longevity, which [[Mugino]] claimed was false. Some samples were stolen and sold on the black market in the [[Land of Silence]].<ref>''Boruto'' episode 159</ref>
  +
** One particular sample was stolen from Orochimaru's laboratory, eventually making its way to [[Victor]], who used it to induce a splinter of the [[God Tree]] to blossom into an artificial tree.<ref>''Boruto'' episode 174</ref>
   
  +
A large part of Hashirama's legacy was his philosophy of the [[Will of Fire]], which became increasingly common amongst Konoha's ninja in the years after his death. Future [[Hokage]], in particular, were expected to fully adopt the philosophy. In time, even members of the [[Uchiha clan]] began demonstrating signs of the Will of Fire, with Hashirama claiming [[Itachi Uchiha]]'s dedication to the village was even greater than his own.
But the most positive aspect of the legacy that Hashirama left behind is an ideal known as the ''[[Will of Fire]]'', a belief held by most residents of Konohagakure. Through sharing Madara's disdain for him, Obito — while under the guise of Madara — admitted that he has a begrudging respect and admiration for Hashirama and saw [[Naruto Uzumaki]] as the heir to Hashirama's ideology while proclaiming that [[Sasuke Uchiha]] inherited their clan's [[Curse of Hatred|hatred]].<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 462, pages 14-17</ref>
 
   
== Video Games ==
+
== In Other Media ==
  +
=== Video Games ===
 
{{playable in}}
 
{{playable in}}
  +
He is also featured as a support-only character in ''[[Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm]]''.
   
 
== Trivia ==
 
== Trivia ==
  +
{{Youthwiki|Hashirama Senju}}
* {{translation|'Hashirama'|柱間}} is a Japanese word referring to the space between two pillars. This might be a play on the word {{translation|'pillar'|柱|hashira}}, as the Hokage is said to be the pillar that supports the village. '柱' is also the counter word for gods and buddhas.
+
* {{translation|"Hashirama"|柱間}} is a Japanese word referring to the space between two pillars. This might be a play on the word {{translation|"pillar"|柱|hashira}}, as the Hokage is said to be the pillar that supports the village. His family name "Senju" literally means {{translation|"thousand hands"|千手}}.
* His face on the [[Hokage Monument]] has a crack across the bridge of the nose.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 1, page 4</ref> However, in flashbacks, no such scar is visible.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 239, page 1</ref><ref>''Naruto'' chapter 399, page 8</ref> This may be due to simple damage as [[Hiruzen]]'s face on the monument suffered similar damage.
+
* His face on the [[Hokage Rock]] has a crack across the bridge of the nose.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 1, page 4</ref> This crack is not present in flashback depictions of the Rock.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 239, page 1</ref>
* In the English dub version of the anime, his [[Wood Release]] was called "Secret Earth Jutsu" rather than "Wood Style". This was corrected in Shippūden with Yamato.
 
* Hashirama, along with Tobirama, Minato, and the Konoha symbol, had his face appear in the ending [[omake]] of [[Infiltrate! The Village Hidden in the Rain|''Shippūden'' episode 129]] within the fireworks.
+
* Hashirama's face appears within the fireworks in the [[omake]] of [[Infiltrate! The Village Hidden in the Rain|''Shippūden'' episode 129]].
  +
* Studio Pierrot's Settei sheets show that Hashirama was 147cm when he met Madara.
* In the [[The Day of Departure!! (chapter)|chapter 238]] a portrait of Hashirama and the other Hokage is seen, showing him using a kerchief.
 
 
* According to the databook(s):
 
* According to the databook(s):
 
** His hobbies were [[Wikipedia:Bonsai|bonsai]] and [[Wikipedia:Sculpture|wood sculpting]].
 
** His hobbies were [[Wikipedia:Bonsai|bonsai]] and [[Wikipedia:Sculpture|wood sculpting]].
 
** His desired opponent was Madara Uchiha.
 
** His desired opponent was Madara Uchiha.
** His favourite food was mushroom mixed soup.
+
** His favourite food was mushroom [[Wikipedia:Zosui|zōsui]], Japanese mushroom rice porridge made usually from leftovers.
** His favourite phrases were {{translation|"The vast lands fertile"|大地豊饒|Daichi Hōjō}} and {{translation|"Heaven's garments are without seams"|天衣無縫|Ten'i Muhō}}. They refer to perfect beauty without any artificial elements.
+
** His favourite phrases were {{translation|"The vast lands fertile"|大地豊饒|Daichi hōjō}} and {{translation|"Heaven's garments are without seams"|天衣無縫|Ten'i muhō}}. They refer to perfect beauty without any artificial elements.
  +
* Despite having cast [[Bringer-of-Darkness Technique|genjutsu]] in the series, Yin Release is not listed as one of Hashirama's natures in the fourth databook.<ref name="d4" />
   
 
== Quotes ==
 
== Quotes ==
  +
* (To [[Madara]]) "''No matter what happens I will protect our… no my village. I still believe that protecting the village is the best way to protect people, shinobi, and children…! Anyone who tries to harm it, whether they are my friends, siblings or my own children… I won't forgive them.''"<ref name=":0">''Naruto'' chapter 626, page 12</ref>
{{Maintenance|Quotes}}
 
* (To [[Hiruzen]]) "''The fellow countrymen of the Konoha make up each part of my body… those of the village believe in me, and I believe in them. That's what it means to be Hokage!''"<ref name="c123p4" />
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* (To the five [[Kage]]) "''But one day… In the future… I dream of a time when all shinobi will cooperate with each other… A time when everyone's hearts will be together regardless of their countries. That's my… dream of the future.''"<ref name="C648P12" />
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* (To [[Hiruzen]]) "''The fellow countrymen of the Konoha make up each part of my body… those of the village believe in me, and I believe in them… That's what it means to be Hokage!''"<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 123, page 14</ref>
 
* "''Whenever you live, there will always be war.''"<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 118, page 5</ref>
 
* "''Whenever you live, there will always be war.''"<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 118, page 5</ref>
* (As quoted by [[Kakashi]]) "''Those who stray from the path of justice have no courage, but under the wing of a strong leader, cowardice cannot survive.''"<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 21, page 18</ref>
+
* (To [[Sasuke]]) "''Shinobi are people who endure to achieve their goals… but depending on what they choose as their goal they change… like Madara and I…''"<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 626, page 16</ref>
* (To [[Kurama]]) "''Nine-Tails, your power is too great. I cannot let you roam free any longer!''"<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 568, page 8</ref>
 
   
 
== References ==
 
== References ==
 
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Latest revision as of 04:00, 6 January 2024

This article is about the character. For the manga chapter, see Hashirama Senju.
editHashirama Senju Camera font awesome Browse Information[1][2][3][4]
Hashirama Senju
千手柱間 Senju Hashirama

  • First Hokage (初代火影, Shodai Hokage)
  • God of Shinobi (忍の神, Shinobi no Kami, English TV: The Supreme Shinobi)[5]
Debut
Manga Naruto Chapter #118
Anime Naruto Episode #69
Novel The Last: Naruto the Movie
Movie The Last: Naruto the Movie
Game Naruto: Ultimate Ninja
OVA Naruto Shippūden: UNSG anime cutscenes
Appears in Anime, Manga, Novel, Game, Movie
Voice Actors
Japanese
English
Personal
Birthdate Astrological Sign Scorpio October 23 Search_Icon.svg
Sex Gender Male Male
Status Deceased
Height
  • Part II: 185.1 cm1.851 m <br />6.073 ft <br />72.874 in <br />
Weight
  • Part II: 74 kg163.142 lb <br />
Blood type B
Kekkei Genkai
Classification
Occupation
Affiliation
Clan
Rank
Ninja Rank
Family
Nature Type
Jutsu

Tools

Hashirama Senju (千手柱間, Senju Hashirama) was a member of the famed Senju clan. He himself was hailed as the "God of Shinobi" for his unmatched ninja prowess. Hashirama sought peace for the shinobi world, and to that end founded Konohagakure with his clan, his childhood friend and rival: Madara Uchiha and the Uchiha clan. He would later become the First Hokage (初代火影, Shodai Hokage, literally meaning: First or Founding Fire Shadow) of Konohagakure. Although he was not able to achieve peace during his lifetime, his legacy and vision for the world would continue to shape the village and the entire shinobi world even after his death.

Background

Madara and hasirama2

Hashirama meeting Madara.

Hashirama was born during the Warring States Period, the eldest of Butsuma Senju's four sons. Hashirama and his brothers grew up on the battlefield waging constant war with the Senju's rivals: the Uchiha. During his infrequent downtime, Hashirama met a boy his own age named Madara. The two quickly developed a friendly rivalry, be it skipping stones or urinating in rivers, with Hashirama typically winning their contests.[6] Hashirama did not approve of this practice of sending children to fight and die, believing it would only increase the bitterness between the Senju and Uchiha, thus causing more deaths.

Hashirama family

Hashirama and his family attend Kawarama's funeral.

After the deaths of their brothers, Kawarama and later Itama, Hashirama and his remaining brother, Tobirama, decided a new shinobi system would need to be implemented to end the cycle of child deaths, a system that would require an alliance between the Senju and Uchiha. Like Hashirama, Madara was also a shinobi who had lost brothers on the battlefield. Together they imagined a world where children like themselves wouldn't need to fight and where their brothers would be safe from harm.[7] As a precaution, Hashirama and Madara did not divulge their family names, but nevertheless discovered each other's identities: Hashirama was a Senju, Madara was an Uchiha; it was their duty to kill each other. Hashirama set this duty aside, unwilling to take his friend's life. Madara, however, decided their dreams of a peaceful world were impossible, and therefore ended their friendship so that they could kill each other without reservation.[8]

Madara and Hashirama combat

Hashirama and Madara clash on the battlefield.

Over the following years Hashirama and Madara continued to meet in combat. Hashirama could never bring himself to kill someone he still considered a friend, and Madara could never defeat Hashirama's superior abilities. In time, both Madara and Hashirama became leaders of their respective clans. Under Hashirama's leadership and extraordinary ninja prowess, the Senju began to best the Uchiha Clan until at one point Hashirama had both Madara and Izuna at his mercy. However, unable to find the resolve to kill his childhood friend, Hashirama tried to convince Madara to unite their two clans to make their childhood dreams a reality. A mortally wounded Izuna convinced Madara otherwise and they retreated, prompting Hashirama to send a cease-fire request. Although some Uchiha found the offer increasingly tempting, Madara was unwilling to accept after Tobirama killed his last remaining brother, Izuna. This did not stop some Uchiha from defecting to the Senju out of self-preservation.[9] Wracked with grief, Madara made one final stand against Hashirama and the Senju and was summarily defeated. Tobirama attempted to kill Madara to finally end the fighting, but Hashirama stopped him, knowing that would only renew hostilities between the Senju and Uchiha. At Madara's suggestion, Hashirama offered to kill himself in order to achieve a peaceful resolution. As he was about to end his own life, Madara stopped him, moved by the gesture, and assented to peace.[10]

Senju & Uchiha truce

Konohagakure is formed.

The Senju, the Uchiha, and all their affiliated clans came together to found a village of peace, where children would never need to die in battle. Hashirama and Madara, rekindling their childhood friendship, called that village Konohagakure. The other countries would soon follow Konohagakure's example and build their own hidden villages. It was his wish that Madara become Hokage, the village's leader and protector.[11] At Tobirama's insistence, the Hokage position was democratically elected, and in the end it was Hashirama that was chosen for the office.[12][13] Hashirama wanted Madara to work with him as a brother and as his right hand so that he could improve his standing among the villagers and someday succeed him as Second Hokage. Madara felt that position would inevitably go to Tobirama, which would in turn end badly for the Uchiha. With his position in Konoha rapidly diminishing and after being manipulated by the stone tablet Zetsu altered,[14] Madara decided the village was a failed experiment and abandoned it, intent on someday returning to face Hashirama in battle yet again.[15]

Hashirama vs Madara

Hashirama fighting Madara and the Nine-Tails.

True to his promise, Madara eventually attacked Konohagakure on multiple occasions.[16] After countless fights and with the Nine-Tails under his control, Madara challenged Hashirama to one final contest.[17] The Nine-Tails' power, as well as Hashirama's efforts to capture and contain it, devastated the landscape, carving out what would later be called the Valley of the End. Hashirama spent the duration of their battle trying to reason with Madara, but Madara continued fighting until he was too tired to keep even his Sharingan active. This enabled Hashirama to distract him with a wood clone while the real Hashirama stabbed him in the back. Madara collapsed and, before dying, noted how much Hashirama had changed from when they were children.[18]

First Gokage summit

Hashirama attending the first Kage Summit.

In the aftermath of the battle, Tobirama hid away Madara's body and Hashirama's wife, Mito, sealed the Nine-Tails within herself in order to contain its great power to Konoha's benefit.[19] For a time, things were peaceful: Hashirama helped train one of Tobirama's students, Hiruzen Sarutobi; he got to spoil his first grandchild, Tsunade;[20] he locked away the Scroll of Seals, the kinjutsu it contained no longer necessary in the world he'd made.[21] But the peace Hashirama had worked so hard for was starting to unravel; at some point Takigakure sent Kakuzu to assassinate him.[22] Although he defeated Kakuzu, other wars began to break out.

In an unknown time, Hashirama convened a Kage Summit so that he could share the tailed beasts Konoha had acquired with them, thus balancing power amongst them. But cooperation would not be so simple as Hashirama intended it to be, first by Tobirama's demand that the other villages pay for the tailed beasts they received, then by the First Kazekage's counter-request of money and territory in lieu of a tailed beast. As unrest began to grow, Hashirama shared his fear that any agreement they made would only be temporary, but also that future generations could forge a lasting unity.[23]

Ultimately, Hashirama's wish for peace would not come to fruition during his lifetime and he died while Konohagakure began to flourish.[1] Before his death he passed the title of Hokage to Tobirama, and instructed him not to mistreat the Uchiha.[24]

Personality

Hashirama depressed

Hashirama brooding about memories of Tsunade.

Hashirama was an excitable man with a boisterous personality. He loved meeting new people, having friendly competitions, and gambling. Headstrong and often impulsive, it fell to others – such as his brother, Tobirama – to be more responsible or realistic about things that Hashirama had gotten carried away with.[25] When taken down in this way, or even when simply presented with information that troubled him, Hashirama could do a near-immediate about-face, going from laughing to sulking. These moping periods were typically brief though, and he'd quickly go back to his usual high-spirited nature.[26] Later generations upon meeting him, tended to remark that neither extremes of his personality were very fitting for a man called the "God of Shinobi".[20]

Despite the first impression he may give, Hashirama was capable of being serious when it came to matters that were important to him. He spent years opposing the practice of sending children to war and dreamed of a shinobi system where a child could be around others their age, never needing to "grow up" prematurely on the battlefield.[7] To that end he became very devoted to Konoha upon its foundation, as it was the realisation of his dream for peaceful childhoods. He wanted the rest of the village to cherish what Konoha represented just as much as he did, encouraging them to regard every villager as part of one large family that should always look out for each other. As Hokage, his job was to protect that family at all costs, even if that cost was his life. This philosophy, known as the "Will of Fire", would become a cornerstone of Konoha teachings for decades after his death.

Hashirama ready to commit

Hashirama offering his life without hesitation for peace.

The Will of Fire is demonstrative of Hashirama's general optimism when it came to other people; he believed a village-first loyalty would naturally break down the mentality that shinobi had to look out for their clans.[27] Hashirama lived by this philosophy long before Konoha's founding, having no qualms about killing himself if it meant peace between the Uchiha and Senju clans. In fact, his entire goal of gaining more power was to have enough just to stop violence. One example of this was he believed if the two most powerful clans during the Warring States Period were to join forces, there would be no other shinobi clan to stand against them and would stop selling their services, effectively ending the Warring States Period. He always saw the best in others, either trusting that they acted in good faith or that they could, through non-violent means, be reasoned with. He was humble, not above lowering his head to his fellow village heads[28] or claiming inferiority to those he'd never met but whose actions he approved of.[29] If nothing else, Hashirama was kind, placing the needs of others before his own: he was even willing to take his own life if it would help create a world where his friends and family wouldn't need to die unnecessarily.[30] It was on these points that Tobirama disagreed with Hashirama most ardently, as Tobirama felt that Hashirama should have a greater value of himself and a greater suspicion of others. It was, similarly, on these points that Hashirama was at his most forceful, asserting his views over Tobirama's; though Tobirama did not often agree, he knew better than to oppose his brother.[31] Hashirama is also well-balanced on this regard as he didn't exert his force over Tobirama over past actions that cannot be changed such as when finding out Tobirama seemingly mistreated the Uchiha, he expressed anger, but didn't exert his force as it didn't do any good.

Hashirama's intimidating demeanour

Hashirama's intimidating demeanour.

Hashirama had a lifelong friendship and rivalry with Madara Uchiha, eventually considering him a brother.[32] As children, they would spend much of their free time together, talking, playing, and planning for a future that they weren't sure would ever come. Both were willing to oppose their own fathers by refusing to kill each other, but only Hashirama kept up this refusal into adulthood;[33] even as enemies, Hashirama would go out of his way for Madara, restraining himself (and Tobirama) so as not to hurt him and indulging Madara's desires at his own consequence.[34] When they were able to rekindle their friendship by making Konoha, Hashirama placed a great deal of trust in Madara by desiring him to be Hokage, believing it was the best way for Madara to recover from the loss of his brothers. When this ultimately failed, Hashirama respected Madara's opinions and dissatisfaction with the village, but would not permit him to move against Konoha, killing him in the end with sadness and reluctance in order to protect what they'd made together.[35] Despite everything, Hashirama considered Madara his friend to the very end.[36]

Appearance

Hashirama was a tall man with tanned skin and dark eyes. He had waist-length black hair typically styled in a centre-parted fringe that framed his face. He often wore the standard shinobi dress of his era, consisting of dark red armour worn over a simple black suit with sandals. This armour was constructed from numerous metal plates, formed into multiple protective guards along his body; each collar of his shoulder guards bore the Senju symbol. Prior to Konoha's formation he wore a white-coloured cloth bearing his clan's symbol on his forehead,[37] which he later replaced with the village's forehead protector.

Shodai Hokage

Hashirama in Hokage garb.

Upon becoming Hokage, Hashirama tended to wear the traditional Kage attire consisting of the customary maroon and white hat and haori over a full-length maroon and white gown, along with a simple red headband.[38] Otherwise, he wore a light-brown, short-sleeved, kimono shirt with mesh armour underneath, held closed by a red sash, and navy blue pants. In his Hokage portrait, he is seen wearing a kerchief.[39]

As a child, Hashirama's hair was more bowl-cut in style, hanging around his face. His usual attire consisted of a dark kimono shirt, a short light green jacket with darker green linings, a white scarf around his neck, traditional pinstriped kimono pants of his clan, and a dark green sash around his waist.[40]

Abilities

Hashirama and Madara clash

Hashirama clashing with his life-long rival, Madara.

Hashirama was famed as the strongest shinobi of his era and one of the strongest in history, reputed as a God of Shinobi.[5] Madara, another legendary shinobi, openly admitted inferiority to Hashirama throughout their entire lifetime together, even with the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan and the Nine-Tails at his disposal.[41] Through his unique powers, Hashirama had been able to subdue and capture eight of the nine free-roaming tailed beasts on his own.[42] During the Fourth Shinobi World War, Kabuto proclaimed that the man's might as a ninja was so vast that it was held in a fantasy light similar to the Sage of Six Paths, stating that no one, aside from Madara, had come close to matching him ever since his passing.[43]

Chakra and Physical Prowess

As a Senju and Asura Ōtsutsuki's reincarnation,[44] Hashirama possessed a powerful life-force and physical energy. This made his chakra remarkably strong, shown by his ability to release powerful shockwaves that damage his surroundings simply by flaring up his chakra.[45] During the Fourth Shinobi World War, after seeing Naruto Uzumaki distribute his and the Nine-Tails' chakra to the entire Allied Shinobi Forces, Hashirama claimed that the distributed chakra amount almost rivalled his own reserves.[46] His chakra control is advanced enough to perform various complex and large-scale jutsu with only a few to no hand seals at all.[47] Hashirama was also able to produce ten wood clones while maintaining a Kage-level barrier.

Hashirama's life-force also grants him enough stamina to fight nonstop for a twenty-four hour period while still left prime to battle,[48] and a will strong enough to resist the control of the perfected Impure World Reincarnation with ease, even after his cells were used to strengthen the technique's binding.[49] His body was brimming with vitality, granting him considerable regenerative powers that could mend most injuries with no residual effects, an ability that only Tsunade's technique or Naruto's own healing when he accesses Kurama's chakra have both came close to emulating.[50][51]

Ninjutsu

As a Senju, Hashirama is trained in a variety of shinobi skills. He could summon multiple Rashōmon gates to protect himself from nearly any attack.[52] He could use barrier ninjutsu advanced enough to subdue the Ten-Tails.[53] He had unprecedented skill in medical ninjutsu, able to heal wounds without forming hand seals. His skill in fūinjutsu could store several different types of weapons for battle, with which he showed versatile skill in bukijutsu, able to fight on par with Madara. In fact, such was Hashirama's proficiency in fūinjutsu that he could reinforce sealing techniques that were not his own creation with his own techniques.[54] In the anime, he could also break Madara's control over the Nine-Tails.[55]

Nature Transformation

Hashirama's wood release

Hashirama using Wood Release.

Hashirama was proficient in all five basic nature transformations, along with Yin and Yang Release.[4] He was most famous for his use of Wood Release, a combination of earth and water-natured chakra, creating wood and plants from the ground or his very being of various sizes and shapes that he manipulated to his purposes. This ability was apparently exclusive to him as no one else has naturally acquired this power; any replications are noticeably pale in comparison to Hashirama's capabilities.[56]

Shin Sūsenju

Hashirama's True Several Thousand Hands.

Hashirama could completely change the landscape with his constructs. He also had more ingenious usages such as making wood clones that are nearly indistinguishable from himself. He could make flowering trees whose pollen rendered opponents unconscious, protective structures able to withstand Tailed Beast Balls,[57] giant hands to apprehend large targets,[58] as well as a giant humanoid creature able to clash with Madara's Complete Body — Susanoo.[59] In the anime, his precision and dexterity with his Wood Release could wield and launch his various weapons from afar, allowing him to attack from multiple angles.[55]

Hashirama's Wood Release also granted him a method of subduing and controlling the tailed beasts. By making direct hand contact or channelling it through his Wood Release, Hashirama could use the Hokage-Style Sixty-Year-Old Technique — Kakuan Entering Society with Bliss-Bringing Hands to put the beast to sleep.[60] He acquired several tailed beasts in this way and was able to maintain control over all of them at the same time. Likewise, he could create wood dragons to wrap around any targets and absorb their chakra. It was by this power that he earned fame as one of few people who could completely control a tailed beast.

Senjutsu

Hashirama's Sage Mode

Hashirama in Sage Mode.

Because of his large chakra reserves, Hashirama could use senjutsu and enter Sage Mode — a feat he could perform instantaneously.[4] In this mode, he gains red (black in the anime, and dark green in the video games) markings around and under his eyes as well in the middle of his forehead. While it is not known where he learned it, Hashirama proved formidable in its usage, riding about on his wood techniques as a means to be mobile in battle while maintaining the stillness of one's self needed to continue building up natural energy to keep this mode activated. Hashirama could perform powerful seals to bind targets, even those as large as the Ten-Tails.[53] The power of Sage Mode would also greatly augment his Wood Release, causing his constructs to become considerably larger and more dangerous, as seen with his largest creation, the Sage Art Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands: by using it to deliver an enormous barrage of punches, it could strip Susanoo from the Nine-Tails plus was chiefly responsible for the formation of the Valley of the End.[61]

Other Skills

Hashirama was skilled enough in taijutsu to match experts like Madara and Hiruzen,[62][63] and could cast genjutsu to lock a target in perpetual darkness for the technique's duration.[64] Hashirama was shown to be fast enough to outrun the Nine-Tails during his battle with Madara, allowing him to lead the battle to the shoreline.[65]

Part I

Konoha Crush

Main article: Konoha Crush

Summoning Impure World Reincarnation

Orochimaru summons Hashirama and Tobirama.

Orochimaru invades Konoha so that he can kill his master, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who is now the Third Hokage. Because Orochimaru wants Hiruzen to experience the same thrills of fighting a teacher as he is, he reincarnates Hashirama and Tobirama. Recognising Hiruzen and seeing how old he has gotten, Hashirama realises how long he's been dead. Tobirama, meanwhile, realises that they've been brought back with the Impure World Reincarnation, and therefore will have no choice but to fight Hiruzen. Orochimaru suppresses their personalities and forces them to attack.

Hiruzen sealing Hashirama

Hiruzen's clone removing Hashirama's soul.

Hiruzen struggles to land an attack against Hashirama and Tobirama, their coordination and responsiveness offering him few openings. The few attacks he does land are merely regenerated by their reincarnated bodies. Because killing Orochimaru will not end the Impure World Reincarnation, Hiruzen uses the only option he has left: after creating two shadow clones, he has a clone capture each of the deceased Hokage and use the Dead Demon Consuming Seal on them. With their personalities restored, Hashirama and Tobirama apologise for being such troubles to him, just as Hiruzen apologises for the fate he has sentenced them to. He pulls the souls from their reincarnated bodies, feeding them to the Shinigami.

Part II

Fourth Shinobi World War: Climax

Main article: Fourth Shinobi World War: Climax

Hokage reincarnated

The four Hokage are reincarnated.

At the request of Sasuke Uchiha, Orochimaru releases the souls of the first four Hokage from the stomach of the Shinigami so that he can reincarnate them. After taking in their surroundings, Hashirama and Tobirama are excited to meet Minato, the Fourth, and take him as a sign of Konoha's continued prosperity. Hashirama asks who the Fifth is, and is informed that it is his granddaughter, Tsunade; Hashirama, accordingly, worries about the village's current fate. Sasuke asks the former Hokage about the history of the village, specifically with regards to the Uchiha clan. From Tobirama's comments, Hashirama realises that Tobirama did not follow his instructions to be understanding of the Uchiha, which greatly angered him. When Tobirama prepares to attack Sasuke in order to protect the village from one of the last Uchiha, Hashirama uses force to stay his hand.

Hashirama stops Tobimara

Hashirama stops Tobirama from attacking.

The Hokage are told about recent events, namely the outbreak of the Fourth Shinobi World War and the reincarnation of Madara Uchiha. Tobirama wishes to go and help Konoha's forces in the war effort and asks for Hashirama's help. Although Orochimaru has perfected his control of the Impure World Reincarnation, Hashirama is still strong enough to break free if he chooses. Instead of doing that, however, he decides to tell Sasuke about his work to create Konoha and the dealings with the Uchiha, as that is why he has been reincarnated in the first place.

The Hokage Arrive

The Hokage arrive on the battlefield.

Hearing Hashirama's history and reflecting on his own experiences, Sasuke decides he doesn't want Konoha to be destroyed, as is Madara's current intention. Orochimaru releases the Hokage from his control so that they can help in this goal, and they set out for the site of the Allied Shinobi Forces' battle with the Ten-Tails. Although worried by Madara's current plans, Hashirama is at the same time curious how Madara managed to survive their last encounter and looks forward to seeing him. When they arrive on the battlefield, Madara, sensing Hashirama, excitedly asks for a chance to fight him, but Hashirama replies that he'll need to wait. Entering Sage Mode, Hashirama uses Sage Art: Gate of the Great God to bind the Ten-Tails, then assists the other Hokage in erecting a barrier to confine it.

Hashirama orders attack

Hashirama leads the Alliance.

Because he must stay with the barrier, Hashirama creates five wood clones to act on his behalf. Four lead an Allied attack against the Ten-Tails' minions while the fifth engages Madara; Madara is uninterested and offers to continue waiting until the real Hashirama is available. When Obito Uchiha appears on the battlefield, Hashirama realises that Madara is forcing him to use the Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique to revive him. He creates six additional wood clones to go after Madara and stop him. Obito is able to resist Madara's control and instead seals the Ten-Tails into himself, becoming its jinchūriki.

Birth of the Ten-Tails' Jinchūriki

Main article: Birth of the Ten-Tails' Jinchūriki

Madara and Hashirama fight again

Hashirama battling Madara.

With his new power, Obito rips down the barrier, easily shrugs off another Gate of the Great God, and tears through one of the wood clones before it has a chance to respond. The clone is able to retain its form for long enough to create branches that restrain Obito, allowing one of Tobirama's shadow clones to use Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags. When this fails to have an effect, Hashirama decides to get personally involved. Madara, however, is done waiting, and forces Hashirama to fight him. Hashirama tries to convince him to postpone, but Madara won't hear of it. While he engages Madara, his remaining wood clones provide what support to the Allies they can and keep Hashirama apprised of how the battle against Obito is going.

Hashirama communication

Hashirama communicates through Ino's technique.

After Obito creates the Ten-Tails' giant tree form, Madara explains to Hashirama the tree's function in the eventual implementation of the Infinite Tsukuyomi. Needing to communicate this to the rest of the Alliance, Hashirama has Ino Yamanaka telepathically link one of his wood clones to the rest of the Alliance, which now includes Tsunade and the other current Kage. After saying hello to his granddaughter, the clone relays his message and implores them not to give. When feelings of futility begin to grow amongst the Alliance's ranks, Hashirama shares his memories of the first Kage Summit with them, helping to rally them all and, ultimately, defeat Obito.

Madara captures Hashirama

Madara captures Hashirama.

The original Hashirama, meanwhile, manages to pin Madara with multiple Gate of the Great Gods and surrounds him with wood dragons to prevent him from escaping. Naruto Uzumaki arrives to help seal Madara, thus ending the war, but Madara implements a final trump card before they can do so: successfully forcing Obito to restore him to life with the Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique. The full return of his original power allows Madara to break free of his restraints and, in the confusion, quickly immobilise Hashirama with chakra receivers. Madara is able to fight off several other immediate attackers, but his revival has left him without his eyes, diminishing his senses. He approaches Hashirama and absorbs his senjutsu chakra so that he can find targets based on their chakra signatures. Before he leaves, Madara notes that the plan for peace he mentioned to Hashirama so long ago is about to be achieved.

As Sasuke is about to go after Madara, Hashirama, still unable to move, offers to give him a jutsu that can be used to cancel out the senjutsu chakra Madara has taken. Sasuke asks why Hashirama would trust him, an Uchiha, to which Hashirama replies that he resembles Madara's brother, Izuna, and that maybe that likeness will remind Madara of the kind person he used to be before Izuna died. In the end, Sasuke fails and the Infinite Tsukuyomi is cast, with the whole world – the reincarnated Hokage excluded – getting wrapped into God: Nativity of a World of Trees.

Kaguya Ōtsutsuki Strikes

Main article: Kaguya Ōtsutsuki Strikes

Madara's Final Moment

Hashirama speaks to Madara for the last time.

Sometime later, the chakra receivers disappear, restoring Hashirama's mobility. He reunites with the other Hokage and they try to figure out what they can do to break the Infinite Tsukuyomi. They are met by the spirit of the Sage of the Six Paths, who recruits their help. Combining efforts with the spirits of the other dead Kage, they summon Team 7, Madara, and the tailed beasts back from Kaguya's dimension. Hashirama approaches Madara, who is too weak to get up and is in fact dying from his ordeal. Madara uses his remaining moments of life to admit that Hashirama's method of peace was right all along. Hashirama forgives him and says that they are still friends despite everything, which Madara uses his last breath to say isn't so bad. Hashirama and the other Kage are returned to the Pure Land by the Sage of Six Paths. As his soul ascends, Hashirama wishes Sasuke and Naruto luck, hoping they have a better experience together than he and Madara did.

Legacy

Hashirama's Artificial Body

The living clone cultivated from Hashirama's cells.

The fact that only Hashirama possessed the ability to use Wood Release – and related abilities of controlling tailed beasts and self-healing – made his DNA highly coveted after his death:

  • In the anime, Konoha sanctioned several attempts to research and reproduce Hashirama's power, but all met with disastrous failure and further study was forbidden.[66]
  • Orochimaru exhumed Hashirama's body for his own experiments, where he infused sixty child test subjects with cells harvested from the remains in the hopes that one would prove able to use Wood Release. Only Yamato survived the process.[67]
    • Danzō Shimura had a work relationship with Orochimaru and had his right arm infused with Hashirama's cells. In addition to granting him increased chakra levels and limited Wood Release abilities, it extended the amount of time he could keep Izanagi active with his different Sharingan and increase how often he could use Kotoamatsukami.
    • Kabuto Yakushi continued Orochimaru's studies, eventually learning how to create an implant that would grant whoever received it access to Hashirama's power. The only recipient of this implant was Madara, enhancing him "beyond his prime".
  • Madara Uchiha took his own sample of Hashirama's DNA during their fight at the Valley of the End, which he applied to his injuries afterwards to accelerate his recovery. Decades later, towards the end of his natural lifespan, his Sharingan into Rinnegan,[68] though that was due to Indra's and Ashura's chakra combining, Madara and Hashirama being their reincarnations.
    • Using this DNA sample, Madara created a mindless clone of Hashirama, with which he was able to produce a substance that could heal injuries and replace lost limbs; Tsunade later does the same for Naruto and Sasuke's respective lost arms (the latter however declining the offer). This same substance would be used to enhance the White Zetsu Army.[69]
  • In the anime, Root saw this as a means to create an ultimate weapon, researching for years to create Gozu Tennō.[70]
  • In the anime, Hashirama's DNA became so highly coveted as rumors spread that his powerful life-force and healing powers could also restore one's youth and extend their longevity, which Mugino claimed was false. Some samples were stolen and sold on the black market in the Land of Silence.[71]
    • One particular sample was stolen from Orochimaru's laboratory, eventually making its way to Victor, who used it to induce a splinter of the God Tree to blossom into an artificial tree.[72]

A large part of Hashirama's legacy was his philosophy of the Will of Fire, which became increasingly common amongst Konoha's ninja in the years after his death. Future Hokage, in particular, were expected to fully adopt the philosophy. In time, even members of the Uchiha clan began demonstrating signs of the Will of Fire, with Hashirama claiming Itachi Uchiha's dedication to the village was even greater than his own.

In Other Media

Video Games

Hashirama Senju is a playable character in the following video games:

Game nameJapanese releaseEnglish release
Naruto Mobile20162016
Naruto Shippūden: Ninja Destiny 224 April 200815 September 2009
Naruto Shippūden: Ninja Destiny 328 April 2009
Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja 45 April 200724 March 2009
Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja 520 December 200727 November 2009
Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja Blazing14 July 201624 August 2016
Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 318 April 20135 March 2013
Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 44 February 20169 February 2016
Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations23 February 201213 March 2012
Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution11 September 201416 September 2014
Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker30 August 201831 August 2018
Naruto x Boruto: Ninja Voltage22 November 201722 November 2017
Naruto x Boruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections16 November 202317 November 2023
Naruto: Shinobi Collection2014
Naruto: Shinobi Collection Shippū Ranbu27 July 2015
Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 322 December 200525 March 2008
Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Online14 April 201320 July 2016

He is also featured as a support-only character in Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm.

Trivia

Springtime of Youth
The Springtime of Youth wiki has an article about this topic:
  • "Hashirama" (柱間) is a Japanese word referring to the space between two pillars. This might be a play on the word "pillar" (, hashira), as the Hokage is said to be the pillar that supports the village. His family name "Senju" literally means "thousand hands" (千手).
  • His face on the Hokage Rock has a crack across the bridge of the nose.[73] This crack is not present in flashback depictions of the Rock.[74]
  • Hashirama's face appears within the fireworks in the omake of Shippūden episode 129.
  • Studio Pierrot's Settei sheets show that Hashirama was 147cm when he met Madara.
  • According to the databook(s):
    • His hobbies were bonsai and wood sculpting.
    • His desired opponent was Madara Uchiha.
    • His favourite food was mushroom zōsui, Japanese mushroom rice porridge made usually from leftovers.
    • His favourite phrases were "The vast lands fertile" (大地豊饒, Daichi hōjō) and "Heaven's garments are without seams" (天衣無縫, Ten'i muhō). They refer to perfect beauty without any artificial elements.
  • Despite having cast genjutsu in the series, Yin Release is not listed as one of Hashirama's natures in the fourth databook.[4]

Quotes

  • (To Madara) "No matter what happens I will protect our… no my village. I still believe that protecting the village is the best way to protect people, shinobi, and children…! Anyone who tries to harm it, whether they are my friends, siblings or my own children… I won't forgive them."[13]
  • (To the five Kage) "But one day… In the future… I dream of a time when all shinobi will cooperate with each other… A time when everyone's hearts will be together regardless of their countries. That's my… dream of the future."[28]
  • (To Hiruzen) "The fellow countrymen of the Konoha make up each part of my body… those of the village believe in me, and I believe in them… That's what it means to be Hokage!"[75]
  • "Whenever you live, there will always be war."[76]
  • (To Sasuke) "Shinobi are people who endure to achieve their goals… but depending on what they choose as their goal they change… like Madara and I…"[77]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 First Databook, page 116
  2. Second Databook, page 142
  3. Third Databook, pages 160-161
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Fourth Databook, pages 162-167
  5. 5.0 5.1 Naruto chapter 619, page 1
  6. Naruto chapter 621, pages 15-17
  7. 7.0 7.1 Naruto chapter 623, page 10
  8. Naruto chapter 624, pages 9-10
  9. Naruto chapter 624, pages 11-14
  10. Naruto chapter 625, pages 2-4
  11. Naruto chapter 625, page 12
  12. Naruto chapter 399, pages 7-8
  13. 13.0 13.1 Naruto chapter 626, page 12
  14. Naruto chapter 681, page 9
  15. Naruto chapter 399, page 9
  16. Fourth Databook, page 61
  17. Naruto chapter 399, pages 9-11
  18. Naruto chapter 626, page 13
  19. Naruto chapter 500, page 6
  20. 20.0 20.1 Naruto chapter 619, page 4
  21. Naruto chapter 1, page 22
  22. Third Databook, page 57
  23. Naruto chapter 648, pages 9-15
  24. Naruto chapter 619, pages 11, 17
  25. Naruto chapter 619, pages 5-6
  26. Naruto chapter 623, page 5
  27. Naruto chapter 627, page 4
  28. 28.0 28.1 Naruto chapter 648, pages 12-13
  29. Naruto chapter 620, pages 1-7
  30. Naruto chapter 625, page 15
  31. Naruto chapter 620, pages 4-5
  32. Naruto chapter 626, page 2
  33. Naruto chapter 624, page 8
  34. Naruto chapter 625, page 1
  35. Naruto chapter 626, pages 13-14
  36. Naruto chapter 691, pages 11-13
  37. Naruto chapter 622, page 15
  38. Naruto chapter 399, page 8
  39. Naruto chapter 238
  40. Naruto chapter 621, page 17-18
  41. Naruto chapters 620-626
  42. Naruto chapter 458, page 3
  43. Naruto chapter 575, page 4-5
  44. Naruto chapter 671
  45. Naruto chapter 620, page 4
  46. Naruto chapter 644, pages 9-11
  47. Naruto: Shippūden episode 369
  48. Naruto chapter 624, page 15
  49. Naruto chapter 620, page 11
  50. Naruto chapter 578, page 6
  51. Naruto chapter 228, page 16
  52. Naruto chapter 621, page 7
  53. 53.0 53.1 Naruto chapter 631, pages 9-11
  54. Naruto Gaiden: Whirlwind in the Vortex, page 30
  55. 55.0 55.1 Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations OVA
  56. Naruto chapter 297, page 9
  57. Naruto chapter 621, page 4
  58. Naruto chapter 621, page 6-7
  59. Naruto chapter 641, page 5
  60. Naruto chapter 626, pages 5-6
  61. Naruto chapter 626, pages 4-9
  62. Naruto chapter 623, page 1-2
  63. Naruto Episode 71
  64. Naruto chapter 122, page 14
  65. Naruto chapter 621 pages 6-7
  66. Naruto: Shippūden episode 351
  67. Naruto chapter 291, pages 14-15
  68. Naruto chapter 606, page 13
  69. Naruto chapter 515, pages 10
  70. Boruto episode 13
  71. Boruto episode 159
  72. Boruto episode 174
  73. Naruto chapter 1, page 4
  74. Naruto chapter 239, page 1
  75. Naruto chapter 123, page 14
  76. Naruto chapter 118, page 5
  77. Naruto chapter 626, page 16